Category: Africa

Mozambique: Problems With Astrazeneca Vaccine Are ‘Bucket of Cold Water’

Maputo — The discovery that the AstraZeneca vaccine against Covid-19 is not effective against the South African strain of the coronavirus is a “bucket of cold water” poured over the hopes of the region, declared Mozambique’s Deputy National Director of Public Health, Benigna Matsinhe, on Monday. The South African health authorities announced on Sunday that

Africa: FAO Members Endorse Declaration for Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture

Rome — FAO Agreement on Port State Measures to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing strengthened at COFI34 The 34th session of FAO’s Committee on Fisheries (COFI34) ended its week-long meeting on Friday with its Members endorsing the first-ever Declaration for Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture, urging stronger action to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU)

SOUTH SUDAN : South Africa's Safair to resume UNMISS flights

South African cargo carrier Safair Operations has made a South Sudan comeback. Source link

South Africa: Rwanda Suspends Flights to South Africa Over Coronavirus Variant

Rwanda’s national carrier has suspended its flights to South Africa and Zimbabwe in order to contain the spread of a new coronavirus variant. This comes almost two months after authorities in South Africa announced the detection of a new variant of Covid-19 that was rapidly spreading in its provinces. “In view of the global concerns

Africa: Ethiopian Airlines Delivers Africa’s First Covid Vaccines

The Ethiopian Airlines on Saturday announced that it has delivered the first Covid-19 vaccine shipment to Africa. In a statement sent to the Nation, the award winning and largest airline in Africa said the vaccine delivery flight was made Saturday, February 6, 2021 from Beijing to N’Djamena via Addis Ababa. “We are glad that we

EQUATORIAL GUINEA : Teodorin and his military cooperation chief attend Aero India 2021

An Equatorial Guinean Ministry of Defence delegation was given a grand ceremonial welcome by the organisers of the Aero India 2021 aerospace and defence exhibition, which opened in Bangalore on 3 February. Source link

Zambia Ban On Car, Grocery Exports Via Vic Falls Border

Victoria Falls — Zambia’s Revenue Authority (ZRA) has announced it will ban exportation of a cocktail of goods including vehicles, household items and groceries through Victoria Falls Border starting on 1 March. The decision by the neighbouring country is expected to hit hard especially on Victoria Falls residents who before the lockdown relied on buying

African Union Holds First Virtual Summit Today

The African Union (AU) will from midday today host its first virtual summit in Addis Ababa at which DRC’s Felix Antoine Tshisekedi will take over as chairperson, and elections of the AU Commission (AUC) will be held. While the AUC Commission chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat of Chad is set to return unopposed at this 34th

Zimbabwe: Illicit Financial Flows Cost Zimbabwe Over U.S.$12 Billion

Transparency International Zimbabwe (TIZ) said IFFs have cost Zimbabwe over US$12 billion in last three decades ending in 2015, with corruption acting not only as a direct source, but a conduit facilitating other commercial forms of illicit flows. Addressing the Mines and Mineral Development- Parliamentary Portfolio Committee, TIZ programs director Tafadzwa Chikumbu said across the

Africa: Monopolies Causing ‘Artificial Rationing’ in Covid-19 Crisis As 3 Biggest Global Vaccine Giants Sit On Sidelines

The supply of safe and effective vaccines for all is being artificially rationed because of the protection of exclusive rights and monopolies of pharmaceutical corporations, the People’s Vaccine Alliance said today. The alliance warned that the three biggest vaccine companies in the world are largely sitting on the sidelines – they currently plan to produce

NIGERIA : Mike Sangster spearheads lobbying of Total, Chevron, ExxonMobil and Shell on new oil bill

Up in arms against the fiscal provisions contained in Nigeria’s new petroleum industry bill, Total, Chevron, ExxonMobil and Shell have Source link

Namibia: Elevated Measures Set to Address Poaching in the Country – Minister

The Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT) has said that more resources have been allocated to fighting poaching with the aid of more government agencies, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and international development partners as they jump on board in efforts to stop poaching. Environment, Forestry and Tourism Minister Hon Pohamba Shifeta revealed this on Thursday

Africa: Covid-19 – Local Researchers Welcome Sputnik V Vaccine Findings

Local researchers have welcomed findings for Russia’s Sputnik V viral vector vaccine, which achieved efficacy of 91.6% in preventing symptomatic COVID-19 in a large Phase 3 clinical trial. They say it is a boost to global efforts to control the pandemic. The findings from a preliminary analysis of the Phase 3 clinical trial were published

Botswana: Saleshando Ouster Mooted – allAfrica.com

Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) vice President, Dumelang Saleshando has rubbished claims that some of his comrades want him removed from the position of Leader of Opposition (LOO) in Parliament. Sources within the UDC have intimated that there are plans to frustrate Saleshando and push him out as the LOO and replace him with MP

Africa: Greenpeace Africa Condemns Creecy’s Misinformation Campaign

In response to the lawsuit filed against her by environmental NGOs groundWork and the Vukani Environmental Justice Movement, Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries (DEFF) Minister Barbara Creecy released an affidavit which stated that she rejected pleas for leniency from executives of Eskom and Sasol and would not allow the power utility to operate its

AFRICA : Erik Prince's Frontier Services Group considers west Africa expansion

Hong Kong-based Frontier Services Group is considering expanding its presence in the western part of the continent. Source link

Zimbabwe: Mamombe, Chimbiri to Spend Night in Detention

Harare West legislator Joana Mamombe and party activist Cecilia Chimbiri will spend the night at Chikurubi Maximum Prison after Magistrate Stanley Mambanje postponed their bail application to Wednesday. Mamombe, Chimbiri and Netsai Marova were arrested in Harare yesterday with the latter released in unclear circumstances. ZRP has charged Mamombe and Chimbiri with section 11 of

Africa: New Sanitation and Wastewater Management Benchmark Tool Highlights Opportunities to Boost Health and Economic Growth in Africa

The African Development Bank, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and GRID-Arendal have released the inaugural Sanitation and Wastewater Atlas of Africa, a tool to benchmark and propel Africa’s progress towards Sustainable Development Goal targets on safe sanitation and wastewater management. The Atlas aims to help policymakers accelerate change and investment in the sector. The result

ANGOLA/CONGO : Relations between Sassou and Lourenço become ever more poisonous

Presidential advisors in Angola now suspect Congo of colluding with the separatist Frente de Libertação do Estado de Cabinda (FLEC). Source link

South Africa: Former President Zuma Defies Constitutional Court Ruling to Testify on State Capture

Cape Town — Four days after South Africa’s top court ordered former president Jacob Zuma to appear before a commission of inquiry investigating the widespread corruption which spread through parts of the government during his time in office, he has announced that he will defy the commission and the courts and refuse to testify. In

Africa: Continent’s Number of Covid-19 Deaths Surpasses 90,000

Cape Town — As of February 1, confirmed cases of Covid-19 from 55 African countries reached 3,569,617. Reported deaths in Africa reached  90,971  and 3,051,748 people have recovered. South Africa has the most reported cases – 1,453,761  – and 44,164  people died. Other most-affected countries are Morocco ( 471,157 ), Tunisia ( 208,885 ), Egypt

GUINEA BISSAU/WEST AFRICA : Strauss-Kahn pitch to Embaló

In Bissau on 15 January to meet with President Umaro Sissoco Embaló, the former International Monetary Fund managing director Dominique Strauss-Kahn has offered to help Guinea Bissau raise Chinese funding for infrastructure projects. Source link

South Africa: Ex-South Africa President Zuma Accused of Hijacking Spy Agency in Corruption Probe

Former South African president Jacob Zuma has been accused of manipulating the country’s spy agency for his own ends and pocketing funds from the intelligence organisation to enrich himself and polish his image with media outlets, according to testimony at the investigation into “state capture”. Sydney Mufamadi, former chairperson of a review panel overseeing the

Africa: WHO Recommends Use of Vaginal Ring Against HIV

The World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended the use a silicone vaginal ring containing the antiretroviral known as dapivirine as a new method for preventing HIV among women at substantial risk of contracting the virus. The product, which was added to the WHO’s list of prequalified medicines last November, is a discreet, long-acting, HIV-prevention product

SOMALIA/KENYA : Kenya's Somali community steps up pressure on Kenyatta over border tensions

The letter dispatched by the Kenyan leader Uhuru Kenyatta to the African Union (AU) on 25 January was especially curt Source link

Namibia: Despite Petitions & Mounting Pressure, Government Proceeds With Sale of 3 Percent of Country’s Last Elephants

United Nations — Over 100,000 concerned petitioners have urged the Namibian government to scrap its plan to auction off 170 wild elephants — which include rare desert-adapted elephants — but the country’s Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism said this week that today’s Jan. 29 sale will go on as planned. On the eve of

CONGO : Sassou's Falcon jet not up for sale before summer

With the Paris Court of Cassation due to hand down a ruling in early February, the Falcon 7X jet belonging to the Congolese president’s office looks like it will not be going on sale before July. Source link

Namibia: Exile Kids Association Wants Swapo Govt Removed

The Namibia Exile Kids Association (Neka) wants the ruling Swapo Party to recall all its representatives in the current administration under president Hage Geingob, saying they have made themselves guilty of corruption. Neka chairperson Benita Nakaambo in an interview with The Namibian said she was disappointed to learn that majority of Swapo’s prominent leaders only

Africa: UNHCR Warns Asylum Under Attack At Europe’s Borders, Urges End to Pushbacks and Violence Against Refugees

Alarmed at the increasing frequency of expulsions and pushbacks of refugees and asylum-seekers at Europe’s land and sea borders, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is calling for states to investigate and halt these practices. “UNHCR has received a continuous stream of reports of some European states restricting access to asylum, returning people after they have

Mozambique: Police Commander Sacks Frontier Police Leaders

Maputo — The General Commander of the Mozambican Police, Bernadino Rafael, announced on Wednesday that he has removed the entire command of the First Regiment of the Frontier Police, stationed at Namaacha, on the border between Mozambique and Eswatini. He added that all members of the frontier police stationed a few kilometres away at Macuacua